Transcutaneous electrical stimulation, (TES), is a non-invasive technique extensively used by numerous health-care providers worldwide. TES includes peripherally applied transcutaneous electrical stimulation as well as transcutaneous electrical stimulation applied to the head, also known as cranial electrical stimulation (CES). According to some prevalent practices TES is applied intended to stimulate the nerves, typically for an analgesic purpose, also known as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS.
TENS uses an electrical current to stimulate peripheral nerves ends and acupuncture points across the surface of the skin. This stimulation achieves proven analgesic effects by activating specific natural pain relief mechanisms. Due to its simplicity, TENS can be administered either in clinics by health-care professionals or at home by patients who have purchased one of the numerous TENS devices available in the market. According to the medical literature, there are over 250,000 TENS units prescribed annually in the United States alone. Its ease of use, general safety and portability make it a preferred treatment, oftentimes more favorable than the long term use of medications and nerve blocks for chronic pain. One of the key aspects of TENS is that the technique is non invasive and has a few side effects when compared with drug therapy.
The proliferation of commercial TENS devices has resulted in numerous variations in terms of the specifics modalities of the treatment. The main types of TENS can be summarized as follows:                conventional TENS—uses high-frequency pulses of relatively low intensity, which stimulate the nerve root, peripheral nerves, or dermatome. Treatment is applied using relatively large electrodes usually placed at appropriate locations on the pain area;        acupuncture-like TENS (ALTENS). ALTENS has two accepted different meanings. According to the first, ALTENS refers to the application of relatively high intensity TENS with high frequency electric pulses. According to the second, ALTENS refers to the delivery of TENS over acupuncture points and not over entire skin regions;        electroacupuncture is quite similar to traditional acupuncture since treatment is applied using needles inserted at specific acupuncture points, along the body. The needles are then attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses. The frequency and intensity of the current delivered depends on the condition treated;        Intense TENS In this case, the treatment is with high intensity, almost unbearable, electrical current for the treatment.        
TES can be also implemented for application of electrical current to trigger points or also myofascial trigger points (henceforth TES of Trigger points or TES-TP). Trigger point therapy, sometimes regarded as one of a group of treatment approaches called neuromuscular therapy, typically involves the application of pressure to tender muscle tissue in order to relieve pain and dysfunction in other parts of the body. It is also referred to as myofascial trigger point therapy.
Known trigger points, acupuncture points, points characterized by proximity to peripheral nerves ends and or other discrete sites on the skin surface of human body that has a presumed capacity to induce whichever therapeutic effect due to TES and or locations characterized by relatively lower local electrical impedance are hereinafter referred to in general as therapeutically active points.
Inter alia, the object of the present invention is to teach a method of locating and or identifying therapeutically active points on the skin surface and applying TES to them.
Particularly, one of the objects of the present invention, is to teach a method of AL-TENS, understood as the delivery of TES over acupuncture points, replacing the traditional needles with localized electrodes or probes. Evidence suggests that AL-TENS produces extra segmental analgesia in a manner similar to that for acupuncture. In two randomized controlled trials in the medical literature the percentage of patients who attain pain relief was found in the range of 88-90% for chronic back pains, better than the placebo effect in this group (40%) and the effect of conventional TENS (50%). The reasons for the better results with this modality in enduring pain relief was explained by the fact that in addition to the nerve stimulation, AL-TENS induces the release of endorphins causing an accumulative effect over time. As compared with traditional acupuncture, AL-TENS is a safer treatment modality eliminating the risks of infection, bruising, organ damage and pneumothorax, needle breakage's, fear of needles, etc.
In order to apply AL-TENS treatment, the acupuncture points on the region of the body of interest must be first located. Numerous point-meters are available in the market for locating these points, using the principle of low impedance at the acupuncture points location. Apparatus for scanning the acupuncture points have been disclosed in the literature. U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,079 discloses an apparatus consisting of an array of electrodes and a skin attachment system for nerve localization. Once a point is located, it is usually marked on the skin surface by using an appropriate marker and then the health-provider decides whether treatment should be applied at such points to achieve the desired analgesic effects. This procedure has several significant drawbacks, information is made necessary relating to finding one point at a time and hence is a time-consuming process; knowledge of acupuncture points location to find the points adequate for the specific pain treatment; marking the points on the skin for later use. This method also entails mechanically marking of the acupuncture points, which is associated with reduced precision and human error. Once an acupuncture point is detected, application of TES requires using an additional apparatus.
A method of scanning for therapeutically active points and application of the therapeutic stimulation of TES by the very same apparatus so far has not been suggested.
Moreover, a method that will provide for scanning of therapeutically active points and subsequent characterization and or identification of the pertinent points, without involvement of a person having knowledge of acupuncture points location, so far has not been suggested either.